[because of]{prep.} On account of; by reason of; as a result of.•/The train arrived late because of the snowstorm./

[beck] See: AT ONE’S BECK AND CALL.

[become of]{v. phr.} To happen to; befall. •/What will become of thechildren, now that both parents are in jail?/

[bed] See: GET UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED, GO TO BED WITH THECHICKENS, MAKE ONE’S BED AND LIE IN IT, PUT TO BED.

[bed of nails]{n. phr.} A difficult or unhappy situation or set ofcircumstances. •/"There are days when my job is a regular bed of nails," Jimgroaned./ Contrast: BED OF ROSES.

[bed of roses] or [bowl of cherries] {n. phr.} A pleasant easyplace, job, or position; an easy life. •/A coal miner’s job is not a bed ofroses./ •/After nine months of school, summer camp seemed a bowl ofcherries./ Compare: IN CLOVER, LIFE OF RILEY.

[bed of thorns]{n. phr.} A thoroughly unhappy time or difficultsituation. •/I’m sorry I changed jobs; my new one turned out to be a bed ofthorns./ See: BED OF NAILS.

[bee] See: BIRDS AND THE BEES.

[beef about]{v. phr.} To complain about something. •/Stop beefingabout your job, Jack. You could have done a lot worse!/

[beef up]{v.}, {informal} To make stronger by adding men orequipment; make more powerful; reinforce. •/The general beefed up his armywith more big guns and tanks./ •/The university beefed up the footballcoaching staff by adding several good men./

[bee in one’s bonnet]{n. phr.}, {informal} A fixed idea that seemsfanciful, odd, or crazy. •/Robert Fulton had a bee in his bonnet about asteamboat./ •/Grandmother has some bee in her bonnet about going to thedance./

[beeline] See: MAKE A BEELINE FOR.

[be even-Steven]{v. phr.} To be in a position of owing no favors ordebt to someone. •/Yesterday you paid for my lunch, so today I paid foryours; now we’re even-Steven./

[before long]{adv. phr.} In a short time; without much delay; in alittle while, soon. •/Class will be over before long./ •/We were tired ofwaiting and hoped the bus would come before long./

[before one can say Jack Robinson]{adv. clause}, {informal} Veryquickly; suddenly. — An overused phrase. •/Before I could say Jack Robinson,the boy was gone./ Compare: IN A FLASH, RIGHT AWAY.

[before swine] See: CAST PEARLS BEFORE SWINE or CAST ONE’S PEARLS BEFORESWINE.

[before you know it]{adv. phr.} Sooner than one would expect.•/Don’t despair; we’ll be finished with this work before you know it!/

[beg] See: BEGGING.

[be game]{v. phr.} To be cooperative, willing, sporting. •/When Iasked Charlie to climb Mount McKinley with us, he said he was game if wewere./

[beggars can’t be choosers] People who can not choose what they will have,must accept what they get; if you are not in control, you must take what youcan gel. •/We wanted to leave on the train in the morning but it doesn’t gountil afternoon, so we must go then. Beggars can’t he choosers./ •/Mary gota red dress from her sister, although she didn’t like red. She kept it becauseshe said beggars should not be choosers./ Compare: LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THEMOUTH.

[begin with]{adv. phr.} As a preliminary statement; in the firstplace. •/To begin with, you are far too young to get married./

[beg off]{v.} To ask to be excused. •/Father told Tom to rake theyard, but Tom tried to beg off./ •/Mrs. Crane accepted an invitation to aluncheon, but a headache made her beg off./ Compare: BACK OUT.

[beg the question]{v. phr.}, {literary} To accept as truesomething that is still being argued about, before it is proved true; avoid ornot answer a question or problem. •/The girls asked Miss Smith if they shouldwear formal dresses to the party; Miss Smith said they were begging thequestion because they didn’t know yet if they could get permission for aparty./ •/Laura told Tom that he must believe her argument because she wasright. Father laughed and told Laura she was begging the question./ Compare:TAKE FOR GRANTED.

[behalf] See: IN BEHALF OF or ON BEHALF OF, IN ONE’S BEHALF or ON ONE’SBEHALF.

[behavior] See: ON ONE’S GOOD BEHAVIOR.

[be hard on]{v. phr.} To be strict or critical with another; besevere. •/"Don’t be so hard on Jimmy," Tom said. "He is bound to rebel as hegets older."/

[behind] See: DRY BEHIND THE EARS, FALL BEHIND, GET BEHIND, HANG BACK orHANG BEHIND.

[behind bars]{adv. phr.} In jail; in prison. •/He was a pickpocketand had spent many years behind bars./ •/That boy is always in trouble andwill end up behind bars./

[behind one’s back]{adv. phr.} When one is absent; without one’sknowledge or consent; in a dishonest way; secretly; sneakily. •/Say it to hisface, not behind his back./ •/It is not right to criticize a person behindhis back./ Contrast: TO ONE’S FACE.

[behind the eight-ball]{adj. phr.}, {slang} In a difficultposition; in trouble. •/Mr. Thompson is an older man, and when he lost hisjob, he found he was behind the eight-ball./ •/Bill can’t dance and has nocar, so he is behind the eight-ball with the girls./ Compare: HAVE TWOSTRIKES AGAINST ONE(2), IN A HOLE.

[behind the scenes]{adv. phr.} Out of sight; unknown to most people;privately. •/Much of the banquet committee s work was done behind thescenes./ •/John was president of the club, but behind the scenes Lee toldhim what to do./

[behind the times]{adj. phr.} Using things not in style; stillfollowing old ways; old-fashioned. •/Johnson’s store is behind the times./•/The science books of 30 years ago are behind the times now./ •/Marythinks her parents are behind the times because they still do the foxtrot anddon’t know any new dances./

[behind time]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1a. Behind the correct time;slow. •/That clock is behind time./ 1b. Behind schedule; late. •/Thetrain is running behind time today./ 2. Not keeping up; not at the propertime; overdue. •/Your lessons are good, but why are you behind time?/•/We are behind time in paying the rent./ Contrast: AHEAD OF TIME, IN TIME,ON TIME.

[be-in]{n.}, {slang}, {hippie culture} A gathering or socialoccasion with or without a discernible purpose, often held in a public placelike a park or under a large circus tent. •/The youngsters really enjoyed thegreat springtime jazz be-in at the park./

[be in a stew]{v. phr.} To be worried, harassed, upset. •/Al hasbeen in a stew ever since he got word that his sister was going to marry hisworst enemy./

[being] See: FOR THE TIME BEING.

[be in labor]{v. phr.} To be in parturition; experience thecontractions of childbirth. •/Vane had been in labor for eight hours beforeher twin daughters were finally born./

[be in someone else’s shoes]{v. phr.} To be in someone else’ssituation. •/Fred has had so much trouble recently that we ought to begrateful we’re not in his shoes./

[be into something]{v. phr.}, {informal} To have taken somethingup partly as a nobby, partly as a serious interest of sorts (basicallyresulting from the new consciousness and self-realization movement thatoriginated in the late Sixties). •/Roger’s wife is into women’s liberationand women’s consciousness./ •/Did you know that Syd is seriously intotranscendental meditation?/ •/Jack found out that his teenage son is intopot smoking and gave him a serious scolding./